Google Health lets users share their online records

Updated March 5 at 10 a.m. to clarify link policy, and at 12:20 p.m. to address privacy concerns.

Google Health has introduced a new feature that lets people share their online health records with designated doctors, friends, and family members.

Google said the move is in response to people's concerns that caregivers and loved ones might not be up-to-date on all the details of a patient's health situation, especially in the event of an emergency.

Google Health now lets people share medical information online with caregivers and loved ones.

(Credit: Google)

Sameer Samat, director of product management at Google, explained his personal impetus behind the new feature in a company blog post on Wednesday:

Just a few years ago, my father suffered a minor heart attack and was sent to the ER. I arrived on the scene in a panic, and was asked what medications he was taking. To my surprise, I had no clue. If my father had a Google Health account, and had shared his profile with me, I would have been up-to-date on his current medications.

Along with the sharing feature, Google added a graphing feature that lets people enter lab results and visually track trends in their medical test results, such as their cholesterol levels.

Google Health also lets people create graphs to track trends in their medical test results.

(Credit: Google)

Recognizing the sensitive nature of sharing health records, Google said it has built in several security measures to preserve privacy. Users choose who can view their histories, and the link to the patient's profile will work only in connection with those people's e-mail addresses--meaning the link won't work if it is forwarded to a third party. Users can also decide what information they want to share, and those allowed to view the profile will not have the ability to edit the data. Users will also be able to see exactly who has reviewed the profile.

However, one security measure that is a bit confusing is a feature that restricts the usability lifespan of the e-mailed link to only 30 days. Unless the user is diligent about regularly sending links to loved ones, this protection could negate the feature's value in the event of an emergency. While this was initially interpreted by some to refer to a continuous process of sending e-mail links to partners, it apparently applies only to the initial invitation.

Google also announced a feature that lets users print wallet- and letter-size hard copies of their profile, including medications, allergies, conditions, and treatments. But the value of these printouts may be questionable if they are not updated regularly.

Users concerned with privacy should also note that Google Health isn't regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law designed to protect patients' privacy. Google also admits that some employees will have access to users' records.

"Within Google, only the people who are operating and improving Google Health have access to user information, and they are bound by strict policies to not disclose this information to others, either within Google or to the outside world," Google said in a help page.

Google Health, which is dedicated to the digitization of health records, launched in May 2007. Microsoft has also planned a medical records service called HealthVault. President Obama, meanwhile, has made it clear that he plans to make digital health records part of his health care reform agenda.

[Mac OS XP]

You do realize that "let's" means "let us," not "lets" as in "allows" right?

[spellinghelp]

Note that "let's" should be "lets" - this seems somewhat embarrassing for an editor to get wrong, since it's in the headline.

[stevenmusil]

Thanks for pointing out the typo. It's one of the hazards of acting as my own editor. Let's be thankful CNET News readers are watching my back.

[Marcus Westrup]

I think you'll find that Google's security measures don't even come close to satisfying government HIPPA requirements, but thanks to loopholes they can be ignored altogether.
Be vary careful with Any data you give to Google, you may loose control over it.

[regulator1956]

HIPAA

[JoeNYC]

I'm not sure if individuals are the best custodians of their own medical records. If I can edit my history, what might I want to take out in case the data gets shared when applying for insurance? If you edit your records for one reason then it's not accurate for any reason. Just a thought.

[cg0def]

Ok google is really taking it too far this time. Sure I'm all for digital medical records and having an uniform record system but google being in charge of it ... well .... that's just insane. This system needs to be federally funded and federally maintained and no private/public company should have any part in it's management or operation. Plus I though there already was a government effort to create such a system. What does Google know that the rest of us don't?

[king_geore]

Correct me if I am wrong but has Google ever cared about anybody?s privacy? I would never put my medical records on any site associated with Google.

[mscottcgp]

As a health professional, it is a good idea in theory. I can sympathize with someone whose loved one is in the hospital and they need to find out what meds they are on. A lot of people have been on meds for years and even THEY don't know the names of their meds! (Believe me, if I had a nickel for everytime that's happened...)
But I agree with other comments that Google should not be managing people's health profiles; it should be a government system associated with HIPPAA with federal penalties for those who abuse the system.
Mary S, RPH

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